Discussion

Prairie Mill Bread Co. - Edmonton

It was nice to see a bit of press for this place in yesterday's Edmonton Journal. I've been shopping there since it opened before xmas, and really want it to succeed.

Owner (Owen) mills the organic grains (grown near Thorsby) in store, and makes a variety of breads. I've tried most, all are good, but the best has to be the 9 grain sourdough. They also make a very good banana loaf, and wonderful oatmeal cookies. It is a bit pricey - loaf of bread is close to 6 bucks, but oaves are 2 1/2 pounds of a good heavy dense bread. Not the type of thing you want for kids lunches, for example, but if you just like eating bread as is (or it makes incredible toast), this stuff is great.

Only thing I haven't been completely thrilled with is the buns, which are a bit heavy.

Nice perks: a buy 12, get one loaf free card, and (even better) when you go it, Owen will cut you a slice of bread that you can slather with real butter and eat while you chat with him and make your choices.

It is in the plaza on the southwest corner of 23 ave and rabbit hill rd.

"Any flour develops better baking qualities if allowed to rest for several weeks after milling. Freshly milled flour produces sticky doughs and products with less volume than those made with aged flour. While aging, flour turns white through a natural oxidation process referred to as bleaching. Natural aging and bleaching are somewhat unpredictable, time-consuming processes, however, so chemicals are now used to do both. Potassium bromate and chlorine dioxide gas rapidly age flour. Chlorine dioxide and other chemicals bleach flour by removing yellow pigments in order to obtain a uniform white color. Bleaching destroys small amounts of the flour's naturally occurring vitamin E, which is replaced in fortified or enriched products."

So aging seems to improve the charateristics that make me like white bread.But freshly milled flour would tend to produce the kind of loaves that you would want from an organic bakery.

I have shopped at the calgary store for years, and know the guy there. (met owen years back too.) They do mill there flour every day, and they never add any chemicals or other stuff to it. it is awesome and I love trying all their new loaves. They also mill their flour at the store, you can always see it there....fresh! I feel way better eating organic.

Actually, a bit more expensive than Cobbs. A loaf of sourdough is $5.75, but it isn't the type of bread you are going to make kids lunches out of. I don't think it is outrageous for really good bread, locally made, for serving with dinner. And, unlike Cobbs, it doesn't go stale for at least a week. It may not be as great by day 5 as it was the day it was made, but still edible (and spectacular for toast).

I guess the Journal article has increased their business; my wife stopped in last night at about 5 pm and got the last loaf! They said that it has been very busy all week.

hey DG Don't you read City Palate --Prairie Mill was in their stockpot Jan 1. Owen is awesome and the breads v good, one slice does you. I find Cobbs too sweet, and not like an artisan loaf at all. Re other breads: Treestone on 99st makes impeccable slow rise breads, we need more Treestones across the city as they seem to run out of bread at noon. also Baker Bill at the downtown market but I think he may be at Strathcona market now, for the winter.